RIOT IN SYDNEY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1920, Page 5

RIOT IN SYDNEY.

SOLDIERS BREAK UP MEETING. TREATMENT OF GERMANS INyOLVED. CASE OF A PRIEST. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received May 31, 1.35 a.m. Sydney, May 30During the war, Father Jerger, a Romanist priest, was placed in a Gorman internment camp, and beyond the fact of his being of German nationality other reasons, if any existed, were not disclosed- The Roman Clnirhc authorities at the time made ail ineffective protest against the internment of the priest. The fixing of Jergcr's deportation for a date early in .Tune has revived the case, and lias led to swing protestr from Catholic societies, and representations to the Federal authorities not to carry the deportation into effect. Among others the Lord Mayor (Mr. Fitzgerald) has .taken a prominent part, in the movement. A deputation was sent to Melbourne and it interviewed Mr. Hughes tc urge non-deportation before Jerger was given an open trial, and in support of i'iis a demonstration was arranged for today in Moore Park. The agitation lias led to much heart burning and Press correspondence against the ens'ng of ilie treatment against Geremaus or allowing the religious aspect to interfere in the case. This led to the Returned Soldiers' and Sailors' Association organising a counterdemonstration in the Park, with a view of impressing on the Federal Government the necessity of not relaxing the regulations for the deportation of Germans, or permitting anything savoring of disloyalty. One hundred and fifty thousand people attended the meetings, the speakers against deportation including Mr. Ryan, the Lord Mayor, and the Attor-ney-General. After carrying a resolution in favor of deportation, the soldiers counted the other meeting 'out. Tliey then rushed the platform, waving a Union .lack, and rolled the speakers otf. 'I hev in turn were attacked, the proceedings at one time verging on a serious riot.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.